Pistons hiring John Beilein

[BJK1]

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[tmorgan]

Interesting. Great guy, very good college coach, did not manage pro egos well at all.

[Manocad]

Fine with me. He's a great basketball mind so I think there's definitely a fit for him in the NBA.

Related side note: there's a book called Good to Great which did a case study of two companies, one "good" and one "great," in each of five industries. The common theme that separated the great companies from the good was that they hired talent then found a place where they best fit, rather than trying to find the right person for a defined position.

[BJK1]

Pistons to hire John Beilein as senior adviser of player development: Source


By James L. Edwards III and The Athletic Staff

10

The Detroit Pistons are expected to hire former Cleveland Cavaliers and Michigan Wolverines coach John Beilein as their senior adviser of player development, a source confirmed to The Athletic. The New York Times first reported the news.

Beilein, 68, was last in the NBA as the head coach of the Cavaliers during the 2019-20 season. He coached just 54 games before announcing his resignation from his post, becoming just the third first-year head coach in NBA history to coach the opener but not complete the season.

Before that, Beilein was the longtime coach of the Michigan Wolverines from 2007-19, where he became the school's winningest coach with an overall record of 278-150.

How Beilein fits with Pistons


James L. Edwards III, Pistons beat writer: Beilein's NBA coaching career might not have worked out in Cleveland, but there was a reason why the Cavaliers were so eager to hire him. At Michigan, Beilein was heralded for developing prospects and turning them into NBA players. Names like Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson are some of the standouts.

While his style of coaching and communicating might not have translated in the NBA, everyone you talk to speaks highly of Beilein's knowledge of the game and philosophies. Detroit has a young core in place and its ability to develop these players will dictate the franchise's future. Beilein will be trusted eyes and ears as an observer for Dwane Casey and his staff.
What did he show in Cleveland?

Edwards: I don't think Beilein's previous situation impacted the Pistons' decision to hire him. This new role allows Beilein to be in the shadows and lend a helping hand as an observer to a coaching staff that must develop a crop of young players in order to bring the Pistons back to relevancy.


Beilein is someone Casey wanted to bring in and someone he has had great respect for as a person and basketball mind. He'll be another trusted voice in the room.

[Kilo]

I dig it. Let him right a better last chapter in his professional career. IIRC he was a finalist for the HC job with the Pistons as well, so there was organizational respect already.

[BJK1]

I dig it. Let him right a better last chapter in his professional career. IIRC he was a finalist for the HC job with the Pistons as well, so there was organizational respect already.

Yes, he was a finalist before they hired Casey. I like this move. This is a team that will be built around it’s young core, so having Beilein working with those guys purely in a developmental capacity seems like a smart move to me. In addition to working with Casey, I’d imagine he’ll also work closely with Rob Murphy and the Cruise.

[bstein14]

Would have been a negative for Casey if it was a lead assistant role, but being in a player development role it seems like a win win for everyone.

[DBC10]

He really should've never took the Cavs job. That was a debacle and a half itself with the way it ended.

But at the same time, I'm glad we didn't hire him as coach. Just something about old guard coaches from college not translating at all to the pros. Casey has been fine from that perspective and am glad we have him instead. This will likely be his last job so at least he has his retirement package fully ready. I think he's still getting them checks from Cleveland

[bstein14]

He really should've never took the Cavs job. That was a debacle and a half itself with the way it ended.

But at the same time, I'm glad we didn't hire him as coach. Casey has been fine from that perspective. This will likely be his last job so at least he has his retirement package fully ready. I think he's still getting them checks from Cleveland

He also has some former players that up Free agents this year and next it will be interesting to see if we try to use that connection to get any of them in a Pistons uniform.

[zeebneeb]

Can't argue with the hire. He is a player development coach for young players, and this team is chock full of them. With the #1 pick coming in next year, his tutelage will be invaluable.

Good hire.

[Cowology]

Fine with me. He's a great basketball mind so I think there's definitely a fit for him in the NBA.

Related side note: there's a book called Good to Great which did a case study of two companies, one "good" and one "great," in each of five industries. The common theme that separated the great companies from the good was that they hired talent then found a place where they best fit, rather than trying to find the right person for a defined position.

Good book. A lot of fortune 500 companies have copied that exact lingo and talk about going from good to great. The basic concept is exactly what you said; get the right people on the buss and then figure out where the buss is going. But another key concept from the book is the hedgehog principle, which essentially amounts to a convergence of what you are good at, what you are passionate about & what is profitable. As it pertains to the Pistons the question is really "what are we going to do better than anybody else". It's a question of identity. What is going to define us?

[JNewton]

I imagine he's going to be primarily working with the G-League team and a summer/camp guy like Tim Grgurich. Seems like a decent move.

[DetroitSho]

Would have been a negative for Casey if it was a lead assistant role, but being in a player development role it seems like a win win for everyone.

Why would it have been a negative?

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[bstein14]

Would have been a negative for Casey if it was a lead assistant role, but being in a player development role it seems like a win win for everyone.

Why would it have been a negative?

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Casey already had been traumatized and felt betrayed that he got fired after winning COY with Toronto and then his lead assistant Nurse took over and won a championship right after he left. I'd say putting a guy who like Beilein as a high paid lead assistant almost looks like the Pistons are lining up a Casey replacement. Of course, we know Casey just got an extension but overall I could see how Casey might not like Detroit brining in a high profile lead assistant to his staff he already has in place.

[BJK1]

Would have been a negative for Casey if it was a lead assistant role, but being in a player development role it seems like a win win for everyone.

Why would it have been a negative?

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Casey already had been traumatized and felt betrayed that he got fired after winning COY with Toronto and then his lead assistant Nurse took over and won a championship right after he left. I'd say putting a guy who like Beilein as a high paid lead assistant almost looks like the Pistons are lining up a Casey replacement. Of course, we know Casey just got an extension but overall I could see how Casey might not like Detroit brining in a high profile lead assistant to his staff he already has in place.

I don’t imagine Casey would be sweating having a guy who is 4 years older than him on his bench as a threat to his job security. Casey is going to be leaving the Pistons on his own terms. But I wouldn’t mind seeing him bring in an assistant that he could groom to be an eventual successor to him. Maybe someone like a David Vanterpool (though he’s likely already on some HC shortlists)? Unless he sees a guy like Sean Sweeney as that guy? I think Beilein working in a player development capacity for the team is an optimal use of his strengths.

[Snakebites]

Casey was just extended. They’re not firing him before the extension kicks in unless he does something (literally) criminal.

His job security is fine whoever they hire.

[440BB]

I don't think any GM would consider Beilein a potential NBA head coach at this point, with his age and the Cleveland experience. I don't think he would want it either after that experience. A great college coach, his strength is in developing and coaching younger players, not handling NBA veterans. He gave it a try and it's just not a fit.

He is a good addition to the Pistons organization as they establish the Cruise and development strategies with this new campus. With the number of teenagers arriving in the league it should look pretty familiar to him.

[vic]

Great move. Round peg, Meet round hole.

It’s such a relief to see good moves for a change from from the past decade of nonsense.

[Snakebites]

I don't think any GM would consider Beilein a potential NBA head coach at this point, with his age and the Cleveland experience. I don't think he would want it either after that experience. A great college coach, his strength is in developing and coaching younger players, not handling NBA veterans. He gave it a try and it's just not a fit.

Both he and the Cavs made a mistake with the hire. He wasn’t going to last long even without the whole thugs/slugs thing. He’s coached his last NBA game and yeah, I agree that there’s a good chance he wouldn’t even want another shot. You get the impression he really didn’t enjoy the last go around.

Lots of great college coaches don’t translate to the pros. John Calipari, Rick Pitino, etc.

He’s just another for the list.

[BJK1]

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